# Top-up Payments
source: https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-europe/documentation/licensed/use-cases/top-up-payments/index.md

Mastercard's Open Finance Top-up Payments service can be embedded seamlessly into your user journey, to provide a simple, fast and safe top-up payment experience. You can offer your customers an increased range of payment options to make top-ups to wallets, investment accounts, saving accounts, pension accounts and more.

This service is available using connectivity from Mastercard's Open Finance [Aiia Enterprise Service](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-europe/documentation/licensed/aiia-enterprise/index.md).

### Features {#features}

Our secure API connects user accounts through our global network, to enable account-to-account payments embedded seamlessly in your user journey with a few clicks. With a single integration, you can connect to multiple payment rails across different markets -- including domestic schemes, SEPA, and SEPA Instant.​

When a customer chooses to pay a business using open banking, they don't need to enter the payee details, which helps to remove the risk of human error. And every payment uses Strong Customer Authentication (SCA): when a customer makes a payment using open banking, they are always sent to their bank's app to securely authenticate.

Where supported, you can request instant deposits with real-time payment confirmation and settlement -- letting you provide an immediate outcome to your customers, with funds immediately available.

You can also combine the top-up payment service with our [Account Information services](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-europe/documentation/licensed/aiia-enterprise/accounts/index.md) for additional features, for example enabling your customer to check the balance in their sending account before making a payment, to reduce uncertainty for the payer and improve conversion.​

### How it works {#how-it-works}

When a user begins the top-up process, your application offers the option of open banking alongside your existing payment methods.

When the user chooses to pay by open banking, a payment initiation journey is requested through our APIs.

We handle the communication with the user's bank, including user authentication using Strong Customer Authentication (SCA).

Once the payment is initiated, the user is returned to your application to continue their journey.

The following screenshots show sample screens that can be rendered using this service:
![](https://static.developer.mastercard.com/content/open-finance-europe/uploads/top_up/licensed/TopUp_1.png) The customer selects "Top up payment account" from the merchant's app. ![](https://static.developer.mastercard.com/content/open-finance-europe/uploads/top_up/licensed/TopUp_2.png) The customer selects the required amount and confirms. ![](https://static.developer.mastercard.com/content/open-finance-europe/uploads/top_up/licensed/TopUp_3.png) The customer agrees to initiate the payment through Open Finance. ![](https://static.developer.mastercard.com/content/open-finance-europe/uploads/top_up/licensed/TopUp_4.png) The customer chooses the bank from which to make the payment. ![](https://static.developer.mastercard.com/content/open-finance-europe/uploads/top_up/licensed/TopUp_5.png) The customer authenticates themselves using the bank's existing authentication method. ![](https://static.developer.mastercard.com/content/open-finance-europe/uploads/top_up/licensed/TopUp_6.png) Available accounts are displayed, and the customer selects the preferred account. The customer can see the amount and destination as they confirm the payment. ![](https://static.developer.mastercard.com/content/open-finance-europe/uploads/top_up/licensed/TopUp_8.png) The customer is automatically redirected back to the merchant's app and they can see the result of their top up operation.

### Data flow {#data-flow}

Diagram top-up-Payments2

1. The Payment Service User (PSU) initiates a request to make a top-up payment in the TPP's application or service.
2. The TPP (PISP) submits a Payment Initiation request to Mastercard Open Finance.
3. Mastercard Open Finance processes the payment with the ASPSP (PSU bank) and the PSU performs SCA to initiate the payment.
4. The ASPSP initiates the money transfer to the destination account (through the requested payment scheme). This may be the TPP's own account or another recipient.
5. The ASPSP returns the payment initiation status to Mastercard Open Finance.
6. Mastercard Open Finance returns the payment initiation status to the TPP.
7. The TPP (or other recipient) reconciles the payment.

### Endpoints used {#endpoints-used}

A payment request is initiated using the `/v1/payments/create` endpoint, or the `/v1/payments/create/session` endpoint.

API Reference: `POST /v1/payments/create`


API Reference: `POST /v1/payments/create/session`

The updated status of the payment is retrieved using the `/v1/payments/{paymentId}/refresh-status` endpoint.

API Reference: `POST /v1/payments/{paymentId}/refresh-status`

### Further information {#further-information}

Refer to the Payment Initiation [Payment Initiation](https://developer.mastercard.com/open-finance-europe/documentation/licensed/aiia-enterprise/payments/payment-initiation/index.md) guide for additional details on how payments are requested and initiated.